Formatting a hard disk erases all the contents of the drive. Formatting the hard disk creates sectors, tracks and places the file system on the hard disk. This prepares the hard disk so that the system can store files on the hard disk. Before formatting you must back up important data and files. You must also format a hard disk after you install a new hard disk on the system. Formatting also help in cleaning the virus that cannot be removed by anti-virus software.
Low Level Formatting
Low level formatting is also called physical formatting. During low level formatting. the system creates tracks and sectors on the hard disk. The hard disk is formatted using low level formatting at the factory.
Earlier, user could do low-level formatting which enables then to repair physical bad sectors in some scenarios. New hard disk drives does not allow you to do a low-level formatting. New HDD enables you to erase the Master Book Record and partition information. You can perform low level formatting in HDD from option available in some old version of CMOS BIOS or by using disk manager utility software.
To create bootable diskette for low level formatting using seagate disk manager:
1. Double-Click the dmgr956a.exe (which can be downloaded from the internet) file of disk manager. 2. The welcome dialog box is appear.
3. Click the Continue button. The Licence Agreement dialog box is appear.
4. Click yes. The create diskette dialog box is appear.
5. Insert a blank formatted floppy disk into A: drive
6. Click the start button. A create a diskette on A:\ message appear.
7. Click OK. The diskette created dialog box is appear.
8. Click Exit. The Bootable diskette is created.
9. Backup the data of the partitioned drive to be formatted.
10. Select boot from floppy from BIOS setting.
11. Insert the DM floppy in FDD.
12. Restart the PC.
13. The computer will boot from floppy with welcome to disk manager start up screen.
14. If your system has no seagate hard drive then it'll ask to exit from Disk manager.
15. Press ENTER. The A:\ drive appears.
16. Type dm/x and press ENTER.
17. The welcome to Disk Manger screen appears.
18. Press ENTER. The Disk Manager main menu screen appears.
19. Go to Advanced Options and press ENTER.
20. Go to Maintenance Options and press ENTER.
21. Go to Utilities and press ENTER.
22. In select a Disk menu it'll show your hard disk size, press ENTER.
23. From select utility option menu select Low Level Formatting.
24. Then from Disk Manager status screen press ALT-C.
25. The DM formats the selected partition and the Disk Manager Exit screen appears.